It was a fairly powerful quake, but hit in a virtually-unpopulated area, so no reports of casualties and minimal damage. It was felt up to about 800km away from the epicentre, and was felt by myself and my wife a the time. Caused a tidal wave of 17cm apparently.

Tidal wave or not, New Zealand exports include dairy products, meat, wood, fish, and machinery. With tourism and entertainment included, exports add up to 29.2 billion USD - which is pretty good for a work force of 2.1 million.

Some of my most enjoyed movies have been filmed there; The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Witch, the Wardrobe, and the Lion.